In the discussion of the background that follows, reference is made to certain structures and/or methods. However, the following references should not be construed as an admission that these structures and/or methods constitute prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to demonstrate that such structures and/or methods do not qualify as prior art.
Many products are produced using heat treatments in furnaces. Products undergo heat treatment for many reasons. For example, in semiconductor wafer fabrication the semiconductor wafers undergo thermal curing, and in steel manufacturing the steel undergoes an annealing process for hardening the steel. Sometimes the products reside within a furnace and fluid is forced through passageways in contact with the furnace to adjust the temperature of the furnace. In some cases, the fluid is forced through the furnace and the fluid comes in contact with the product. In still other cases, the fluid may be forced through an area between the furnace and a process chamber containing the product. A furnace may be called a forced-fluid process chamber particularly in semiconductor wafer production.
Often, in semiconductor production the temperature must be controlled very precisely and minor variations in the temperature can affect the yield or the percentage of wafers that may be sold. The temperature may need to be consistent throughout the forced-fluid process chamber, and the temperature may need to be raised or lowered in a specific amount of time. Often, the temperature of the product needs to be stabilized quickly so that the next step of the manufacturing process may begin and so that the heat treatment can be controlled precisely.